Apple Update
Steve
Jobs likes to use MacWorld as the place to thrill the faithful
with exciting Apple hardware and software announcements.
As his charismatic presence rises and the enchanted
audience swells to meet it, the ante rises.
They are rarely disappointed.
He knows them well and often pleases.
We have watched again and again as they have thrilled to
quirky new hardware designs (Primary Colors! the Cube! The desktop
as decorative device!) and software designed for users, not
technicians.
This
year was no exception.
Software
Apple
rolled out a brand new browser (see above), Safari, which is
designed to give the Apple faithful their very own window into the
web.
Apple
also previewed a new presentation tool, Keynote, designed for ease
of use, with an emphasis on professionally designed themes,
typography, and professionally quality images.
The product imports and exports Microsoft PowerPoint,
QuickTime and PDF files. It
is available immediately for $99.
The dazzling eye candy, complete with fancy slideware
(animations, video, screen effects) requires a G3 with 256Mb of
RAM and the OS X 10.2.3 version of the operating system.
Apple
also showed new versions of iPhoto and iMovie (free updates) and a
new edition of Final Cut.
Hardware
Apple
announced new portables at both ends of the range - a 12" G4
PowerBook ($1799) and a 17" PowerBook ($3299) both with many
features. The 17" is the first notebook computer to offer
such a large display. Both systems have built-in Bluetooth,
802.11g, and FireWire 800 connectivity - thoroughly modern
machines.
What Does That Do For Apple
It's
clear what new Apple software and hardware do for Apple
aficionados
-
and even for some new users who are lured to the easy to use,
aesthetically pleasing designs.
The question remains, what they do for Apple.
That seems a tougher question to answer.
Just
after MacWorld, on January 15, Apple announced its first quarter
(actually the 4th quarter of 2002) results.
It was a tough year and although revenue was up both net
profits and gross margins were down.
The
Street seems to believe that none of the recent Apple
announcements are likely to change Apple's market share - crucial
for making Apple into a mainstream player. The Street's read seems to be that the investment in the
"lifestyle" retail stores won't pay off and that Apple
will remain a niche player.
I'm
not so sure.
I've
watched an increasing number of people who want or need to use a
computer but who have no interest in learning anything about
computing decide that an Apple Macintosh is a sensible decision.
Small price differences are fine with them - particularly
if they talk to someone knowledgeable and find out that a likely
trade-off might be that they could be self-sufficient quickly on
an Apple but required continued and costly assistance on the more
complex Wintel platform.
Maybe
Apple will figure out how to leverage its lifestyle play yet and
sell more than computers. Its
iPod MP3 players are popular in spite of their relatively high
prices and there is lots of room to add additional consumer
electronic products to the Apple lifestyle mix.
I
wouldn't give up on Apple's chance yet - not with their worldwide
brand recognition and their incomparable ability to figure out
what their customers want. If
they could just once break out of their niche and apply this to a
wider market, everything would change.
We
were once an "Apple shop," running our business entirely
on Apple computers, printers, and networks, and sometimes when
nothing works - and I certainly can't figure out how to fix it on
my own - I remember longingly the days when I could and did and
wonder if it would still be possible.
(back to top)
